Team overcomes early obstacles, high expectations
For them, songs are written and parades are held.
But what about the ones who come afterward? Those who have to follow in the footsteps of the great ones? Carrying the burden of the bulls-eye may be the most difficult feat in all of sports. More often than not, the squad that must step out from a previous team's shadow fails to live up to inflated expectations.
There are Gamecock fans that know all about this. They watched USC's football team in 1984 go 10-2, which was the best season in school history at that point. The 1985 squad proceeded to go 5-6. History is a hard act to follow.
That's what makes the 2012 South Carolina baseball team so impressive.
Expectations for Gamecock baseball were never higher. Two consecutive national titles, 16 consecutive wins at the NCAA tournament, 11 in a row at the College World Series. Trips to Omaha were no longer asked for; they were demanded.
However, even the most optimistic fans probably didn't call ahead for hotel reservations this year. The Gamecocks were replacing three-fourths of their infield, their catcher and one of the best outfielders in the country. USC was not likely to strike fear in the hearts of opponents.
Things looked increasingly bleak as South Carolina started the SEC slate 1-5. One month into the season some were questioning whether the Gamecocks would make the conference tournament, much less extend their NCAA winning-streak.
But sure enough, USC made it to the regionals. Not only did they make it, they were hosting as the overall No. 8 seed in the nation. They promptly swept through the regional, beating in-state rival Clemson twice in the process. Then they dismissed Oklahoma in the Supers to punch their ticket back to the College World Series.
Once they arrived in Omaha, the winning streak ended at the hands of Arkansas. Facing the biggest obstacle of the season, USC's young team dusted itself off and won three games in two days to advance to the championship series.
This was a team with 13 freshmen on the roster. No team at the College World Series had more. And South Carolina's freshmen weren't starring as bullpen catchers and Gatorade retrievers. They were starting behind the plate and in left field and at shortstop and on the mound. There were two junior-college transfers in the infield who had never played on a stage like Omaha.
South Carolina may have fallen short of bringing home its third national title, but the fact that the Gamecocks were in position to win it in the first place is a testament to Ray Tanner and his club. They were not supposed to contend for the SEC title, but they did. They were not supposed to attain a national seed, but they did. They were not supposed to make it to the championship, but they did.